Den, Tokyo

Fresh from our travels from Japan and Korea one of the most eagerly anticipated meals was at Den in Jimbocho, Tokyo. Chef patron Zaiyu Hasegawa serves up his take on modern kaiseke cuisine. Situated down an alley a couple of minutes walk from Jimbocho station it can be easy to miss the Den "傳" signage, the hostess was surprised that we had found the restaurant without any trouble.

We had an early booking for 6pm and me being overzealous not to be late we were ten minutes early and waited in the seating area whilst the kitchen finished the prep for the night. Immediately we could see the playful aspect of the restaurant which it is famed for as we noted scribblings in black marker along the walls and doors from famous visiting chefs from all over the globe. Notable familiar UK chefs included Isaac McHale who had visited a month earlier.

Savoury play on red bean monaka, this one was filled with foie gras, chestnut and pickles. It was so good Wendy wanted another one.

Blowtorched crabshell hiding a piping hot crab croquette filled to the brim with crab meat and roe.

Beautiful bespoke crockery

Chef presented us with a chicken box next with a title of DFC. Inside was a nice surprise with a thanks for coming message and chicklet bearing the Union Jack. The star of the box however was the perfectly fried stuffed chicken wing, filled with rice, goji berries and pine nuts.

Meguro sashimi with a tomiko brown sauce which we mopped up with gusto.

Japanese mackerel served with a divine monkfish liver sauce and celery sauce with a garnish of fried radish. This was simply amazing, the celery sauce brought a good balance to a otherwise rich dish.

Next up was Chefs signature salad showcasing Japanese produce, fried leaves, raw and cooked vegetables all added to a complex dish, the star for me was a delectable tomato.

We noted a rice pot cooking away during our meal and inside was our next course. Chef presented a sakura ebi ricepot to us which are in season two times a year. The essence of the shrimps permeated through the rice as it cooked and this was a delight. We didn't want the meal to end with this being the final savoury course.

Dessert served with a gardening theme complete with "rusty" chocolate spade, the contents included a charcoal cheese pudding covered in green tea, brown tea and barley tea.

The last course was a rich Italian truffle and chocolate pudding served in a mug similar to the coffee chain, this one however signified Chefs determination to regain his second Michelin star.

 Being avid followers of Chef on Instagram for which he was humbled, his face lit up when we mentioned Pucci Jr. Chef even brought him down from his slumber and he became the centre of attention. Pucci licked my hands when I stroked him, Chef said he could smell the DFC on my hands which is his favourite! Amazingly when chef said arigato, Pucci would put his paws together and bow to thank the customers!

The sake and wine pairings were great and value for money, with the whole meal costing around 34,000 Yen for two. Chef even provided some recommendations to us when we enquired where to sample different types of Japanese cuisine. He even offered to make  his special version of whatever we wanted if we returned, now thats service!

www.jimbochoden.com

L'Autre Pied, London

Any emails from Groupon that I receive with food offers are usually condemned to the trash bin immediately, however its not often you find a Michelin starred deal for a 7 course tasting menu for £31. Hence I snapped up the deal for L'Autre Pied, sister restaurant of Pied à Terre, who both hold 1 Michelin star with L'Autre Pied based in Marylebone which makes the deal more remarkable.

Amuse bouche - Avocado mousse

Salad of radishes with black quinoa, crème fraiche, fennel, dill and lime

Celeriac 'linguini' with black garlic, onion and parsley

Poached cod with brassicas and ruby grapefruit

Fallow deer with beetroot, cocoa and peanut

Coconut cream

Heritage carrots with banana and passion fruit

The interior is relaxed but rather weary looking. I like the fact that there is no tablecloth in sight, ideal for a casual lunch. The usual price of the tasting menu is £62 and the pre discount service charge is levied on top. 

As expected with a 1 Michelin starred restaurant, the execution and cooking of the dishes was faultless. The key standout dishes were the celeriac linguini and carrot cake dessert. Some good ideas for the other dishes but slightly missing the wow factor. However at this price it was certainly value for money.

The Pony & Trap, Chew Magna

The Pony & Trap is a Michelin starred country pub run by Josh and Holly Eggleton in Chew Magna, around 7 miles south of Bristol. The pub places emphasise on a field to fork ethos and source food as locally as possible from suppliers around the Chew Valley and the South West.

Chef Josh Eggleton was recently on the Great British Menu and has an impressive pedigree, having worked at the likes of The French Laundry and Chanterelle. During our visit last month we ordered the tasting menu at £60 per head along with the very competitively priced wine flight at £25.

A selection of canapes were delivered including pork crackling quavers with apple purée, scallipops, pan fried scallops wrapped with pancetta and a celeriac soup with cheddar foam. The latter came with a delightful Parmeasan mustard palmier.

The first course was squash, Stilton and chicory with pumpkin seeds. Nice and fresh with different textures including deep fried squash.

HEC – Chefs take on ham, egg and chips with home cured bresaola, hens egg and watercress.

Brill, artichoke and girolles with burnt onion purée. The brill was cooked on the bone and was an extremely generous portion for a taster dish, it could have passed for a main course!

Rabbit, smoked pear and cabbage. Rabbit loin stuffed with offal served with a hodgepodge of black pudding. Again a main sized dish with three huge slabs of rabbit which were moist and well seasoned. The cooking was superb as the offal remained pink yet cooked through.

Spiced posset, a tea smoked prune lemon granite

Stout cake, walnut and caramel, paired with a glass of Triana Pedro Ximenez which was like Christmas in a glass.

The Pony & Trap is well worth a visit if around the Bistrol area. Good hearty well cooked food befitting of a country pub.

The Clove Club, London

It’s hard to please Mrs Nom these days as she seems to have developed a taste for innovative cooking over classical cuisine recently. Much more refined than me who is easily pleased with a simple slab of good quality meat or burger. The Clove Club in Shoreditch London seemed a good choice with its modern dishes. Recently winning its first Michelin star, the menu read very well. The compact dining room is set out like a class room with an open kitchen at the front for all to see the chefs in action.

The restaurant serves a set menu in the evening for £55 per person or an extended menu for £95. We chose the shorter menu with an added supplement dish. A selection of snacks preceded the main dishes including smoked trout rye cracker, beetroot cracker with sheep’s curd and buttermilk fried chicken & pine salt.

The first course of raw Orkney scallop, mustard leaf, cobnuts and brown butter was a knockout with fresh and stunning flavours.

Cornish squid, tarragon and bacon fat, indulgently coated strands of ink and fat covered squid.

Ballotine of pheasant, creamed oats & white truffle (£30 supplement). We shared a plate between us and were glad that we did, the pheasant was topped with a mountain of white truffle with a pungent aroma.

Roast Yorkshire venison, black currants and kale, the dish of the meal for me, served pink with perfection with deep gamey flavours, one of the best venison dishes I have enjoyed.

Amalfi lemonade & Sarawak pepper, this was a bit tangy for Mrs Nom but I found it just right.

Poached quince & ginger biscuit, a beautifully presented dish with a light base.

Petit fours included peated barley cakes and crème de menthe bon bons.

The food at The Clove Club certainly lived up to its hype.